Jollibee opens first store in New York

MANILA, Philippines - The arrival of leading Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee in the East Coast, USA was met with huge success on its Valentine’s Day opening. Customer camped out as early as 5 a.m. and by day-end, rang up more than $30,000 in orders of Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti, Yum Burger and other best-sellers. Located in the diversely populated area of Woodside, Queens in New York, Jollibee’s first East Coast restaurant brings the chain’s total US network to 25.

News of the successful homegrown fastfood company making inroads in the world’s most populous and popular city has been regarded by many as an admirable feat – especially during these times of economic uncertainty.

Jollibee remains bullish, however, and in fact, has reason to believe that even during tough times, people will go for affordable and great-tasting food — especially the kind that reminds them of home.

“We are very proud and happy to serve our kababayans in Queens, New York with that familiar langhap-sarap taste of home. They are the primary reason why we continue to bring Jollibee offshore,” Jollibee president Ernesto Tanmantiong said.

He added that conquering the US market is also consistent with Jollibee’s mission of spreading the joy of eating. “We want to showcase to the rest of the world what the Philippines has to offer. This includes everything from our great-tasting food, personalized service and our friendly crew.”

According to a New York Times report, the area’s Filipino and Filipino-American communities have been eagerly awaiting Jollibee since construction workers first put up the image of the smiling bee mascot in December last year. And true enough, when Jollibee opened its doors to the public, lines outside the store extended to several blocks.

Apart from Queens, New York, other major urban areas that have welcomed Jollibee include Las Vegas, Nevada; San Francisco and San Diego, California; Shenzhen, China; as well as communities in Hong Kong, Brunei and Vietnam. In total, Jollibee now has 49 international stores.